This invention relates to locked differentials for vehicles.
It is now known to provide for vehicle differential lockers where there is a co-axial arrangement of two drivers, two axle couplers and means to effect, subject to differential rotational forces provided by respective left and right axles, a locking or unlocking effect by such members.
This invention relates to improvements in such arrangements.
At least one objective is to provide an arrangement providing for this effect which can be manufactured more economically than devices of past design.
Further, however, the improvement offers the public a very useful alternative to those designs currently existing.
In one form of this invention, although this need not necessarily be the only or indeed the broadest form of this, there is proposed a locked differentials for motor vehicles including, for each of oppositely positioned axles for wheels of a vehicle, an axle coupler, and a driver each being co-axially aligned with a respective axle, a plurality of teeth on each respective axle, a plurality of teeth on respective mutually facing faces of each respective coupler and driver for effecting an interlocking drive coupling therebetween, a transverse driving shaft extending between the respective drivers and arranged to effect rotational drive against the respective drivers, resilient means extending between the drivers to urge these apart and toward an interlocking engagement with their respective couplers, and a means providing a camming interrelationship between the respective drivers such that, with relative rotation between the two drivers, the effect, at least as a result from one respective relative direction, will result in the two drivers being urged toward each other against the opposite pressure of the resilient means so as to release at least one of the drivers from a driving coupling through the mutually engaging teeth with at least one of the axle couplers.
In preference, the means providing the camming interrelationship includes a member secured to one of the drivers interengaging with the other of the drivers.
In further preference, the means providing the camming interrelationship includes a tab secured to a first of the drivers and having a portion located within a cavity of the second of the drivers.
In preference such cavity is a slot in a side of the second driver.
In preference, the cavity is a slot having inclined facing edges with the tab having matching inclined edges such that the respective edges provide for an interengaging of the respective edges to provide for the camming effect.
In preference, the tab is positioned so as to effect a limit to an extent of relative rotational freedom of a one of the drivers to the other.
In preference, the teeth on mutually facing faces of the drivers and axle couplers are each shaped so that each side surface of each tooth is perpendicular to the plane of rotation. However angles other than perpendicular may be chosen.
In preference, the resilient means comprise at least one helical spring extending between the respective drivers.
In preference, each of the drivers has at least two tabs secured at diametrically opposite positions, each being releasably secured to a first of the drivers and having outwardly inclined edges located within a slot within a side of a second of the drivers.
In a further form of this invention, it can be said to reside in an assembly of a differential for a motor vehicle which includes a locking differential as previously characterized.